Corn-planter



(No Model.)

W. L. RUCKER.

CORN PLANTBR.

ented Feb. 23, 1886.

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. RCKER, OF MARTINSVILLE, MISSOURI.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.336,750, dated February 23, 1886.

Application filed September 8, 1885. Serial No. 176.522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. RUCKER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Martinsville, in the county of 4Harrison and StateofMissouri,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and I do hereby declare that the following isafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved checkrow corn-planter. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of the drop mechanism.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to that class of check-row corn-planters in which a shaft is provided with hubs having spokes traveling upon the ground and thus revolving the shaft, and in which the said shaft by suitable cam mechanism reciprocates the seed-slides; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the frame of the machine,which is mounted upon wheels B B, and which is provided with the runners C C, having the seedboxes D D, mounted at their upper ends, the said seed boxes having the transverse seedslide E,sliding upon the frame. A transverse shaft or axle, F, is journaled in bearings G G at the lower ends of brackets H, secured near the runners, and the ends of this axle are provided with hubs I, having a number of radiating spokes, J, the ends of which will engage the ground as the machine travels over the same. The axle is provided with a cylinder, K, which has one or more lugs, L, projecting from its face, and a bolt, M, projects forward from the frame of the machine,and has alever, N, pivoted upon its end, the upper end, O, of which lever is bent rearward, and fits into a staple, P, upon the upper side of the seedslide, while the lower end of the lever is provided with a cam, Q, which is engaged by the lug upon the cylinder. The cam is curved so as to t around the upper part ofthe cylinder,

(No model.)

and has its front end a triiiewider than where it is pivoted to the leverN, and has its rear end drawn out to a narrow strip. As the cylinder K revolves, the lug L will engage wit-h the rear portion of the cam and force it to one side until the ends of the cam engage with the cylinder. As the cylinder continues to revolve, the cam is gradually forced to one side until the lug passes the pivotal point, when it bears against the wider portion of the cam and forces it to swing on the pivot, thus throwing the rear portion of the cam in the opposite direction, so that at the next revolution the lug will engage with the other side of the cam and force it over in the opposite direction. As the cam is moved alternately from side to side the rear end of the lever N is correspondingly moved back and forth and with it the seedslide. One of the spokes, at the ends of the axle, is provided with a removable enlargement, S, which will mark the hills dropped, and consequently leave marks for commencing the next row when the machine has arrived to the end of one row. The cylinder is provided with a ratchet-wheel, T, having the straight shoulders or faces of its teeth facing forward,

and a pawl-arm, U, is pivoted at its rear end near the lower end of a hand-lever, V, which is fulcrumed upon the frame near the seat W of the driver, and it will be seen that by rocking this hand-lever the downwardly-bent end- X of the pawl-lever will engage the ratchetteeth and revolve the cylinder backward, the said mechanism 4being used when a new row is to be started and it is desired to drop a hill at a line with the hills formerly dropped. By increasing the number of lugs upon the cylinder the seed-slide may be continually reciprocated, converting the machine into a drill, and, if desired, the hubs having the spokes at the ends of the axle may be dispensed with, and one hub having spokes may be secured near the middle of the cylinder. It also follows that the spoked hubs may be dispensed with and other means resorted to, such as a grooved wheel having a check-rope passing around it, a hub having forked spokes having a rope passing around it, or any other suitable manner of revolving the axle, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

This seed-slide-operating mechanism may be applied to any planter having a transversely-reeiproeating seed-slide,and the shape ofthe cam is such that it will suddenly throw the seed-slide to one side or the other in passing the wider portion ofthe Cam, and this Cam is pivoted upon the lower end of the lever so as to have suieient play to allow the lug to pass at both sides of the earn, while the flanges of the rear flanged portion of the 0am will bear against the edges of the lower end of the lever so as to prevent itfroin swinging o1' tilting so far out of the way of the lug that the lng will not rook the lever.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. In a corn-planter, the combination of a revolving axle having a cylinder provided with a radially-projecting lug, with a lever pivoted upon the frame and having its upper end connected to the seed-slide, and having its lower end provided with a curved cani pivoted upon the sa1ne,and havingits forward end wider than where it is pivoted to said lever,

and the rear end narrow, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. In a corn-planter, the combination, with a cylinder provided with a radiating lug,of a transverse]yreciproeating seed-slide having a staple upon its upper side, a lever pivoted upon the front of the machine inthe sanievertical plane as the lug upon the cylinder, and having its upper end bent rearward and inserted into the staple upon the seed-slide, and a cani pivoted upon the lower end ofthe lever curved to correspond with the contour of the cylinder, having its forward end wider than where it is pivoted to said lever, and having its rear end narrowed, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM L. RUOKER.

NVitn esses:

IssAo V. WREN, J. H. TAYLOR. 

